Joint apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A joint apparatus for joining two objects together with end faces in face-to-face engagement includes first and second flat elongate plates for attachment to faces of the respective objects adjacent the end face. Each plate has a first side edge for facing the first side edge of the other plate when secured to the respective object, and the first side edges each have a series of alternating tongues and recesses positioned for alignment with the recesses and tongues of the other plate, respectively. The plates are positioned on the respective objects such that the tongues project out from the end face of the object and engage in the recesses of the other plate when the end faces are abutted, in a zipper-like fashion. The plates may be temporarily clamped together while the tongues are secured to the face of the opposing object, thereby forming the joint.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatusfor joining together two or more objects, as is often required incabinet, other furniture and fixture making, solid surface fabrications,and manufacturing in general.

[0002] It is often necessary to join two or more objects or piecestogether in cabinetry, furniture making, fixture making, solid surfacefabrications and the like. This is a common task at a job site duringinstallation. There are many methods of making such joints. The mostcommon method involves first machining and installation of a so-called“biscuit spline” to ensure that front and back movement of two panelsbeing joined is solid. Secondly, a mechanical fastener, such as a tightjoint fastener, dog-bone fastener, or draw bolt or the like, is routedinto the back surfaces of the panels. A series of such fasteners arespaced apart at approximate intervals of six to twelve inches along thejoint. A template is used to rout directly into the panel material.Next, the mechanical fasteners are all tightened as the alignment of thepanels is fine tuned. Usually, the mechanical fasteners alone are leftto hold the panels together. This means that the fasteners must beinstalled to a very high torque rating, which can cause panel failure atthe route. The fasteners must be permanently installed, and a separateplate is seldom used to bridge and strengthen the joint, due to theadded time and expense involved.

[0003] There are some inherent problems with this method and othersimilar methods of joining two items. One major issue is that of health.The routing of the panels to receive the mechanical fasteners produces alarge amount of dust. Sawdust or resin dust is an occupational hazard incarpentry and other similar professions, and exposure to such materialsshould be minimized wherever possible. The time needed to biscuit jointand rout two panels to receive fasteners on site is slow, and creates asignificant amount of airborne sawdust or resin dust particles. Routingin the field produces both dust and added noise. If a factory rout isproduced, then all possible joints must be accounted for in advance.Some factory made routs will then not be required, and will need to becut off and discarded at the installation site when the ends do not needto be joined. Thus, there are disadvantages in both on-site and factorymade routs. Additionally, the mechanical fasteners are not removable dueto the fact that they alone usually hold the joint together. This methodof joinery can also not be used on an exposed surface, unless theappearance of the exposed routs and fasteners is not objectionable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved joint apparatus and method for joining two or more objects orpanels.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a jointapparatus for joining two objects with adjacent end faces of the objectsin face-to-face engagement is provided, which comprises a firstelongate, generally flat plate for securing to a face of one of theobjects adjacent the end face to be joined, and a second elongate,generally flat plate for securing to a face of the other object adjacentthe end face to be joined, each plate having a side edge for facing theside edge of the other plate when the plates are secured to therespective objects, each side edge having a series of alternatinginwardly directed recesses and outwardly projecting tongues, the tonguesin the first plate being positioned for mating engagement in therecesses in the second plate and the tongues in the second plate beingpositioned for mating engagement in the recesses in the first plate whenthe plates are secured to the objects and the end faces of the objectsare placed together.

[0006] Once the tongues and recesses are engaged, each tongue may besuitably secured to the underlying surface of the other object in orderto secure the joint, since each plate will be secured to both objects.Mechanical fasteners may be used to temporarily clamp the platestogether while the tongues are secured. In one example, each side edgemay have a fastener receiving indent located between one or moreadjacent tongues and recesses for alignment with a correspondingfastener receiving indent in the side edge of the other plate. Suitablefasteners may be placed in each aligned pair of indents for clamping thetwo plates, and the objects to which they are secured, together.Alternatively, suitable clamping devices may be mounted on top of thetwo plates adjacent the end faces to be joined, such as sash lock typefasteners, or the plates may have aligned, upstanding ears or tabsthrough which nut and bolt or other fasteners extend in order to holdthe plates together.

[0007] The plates are each secured to a face of the respective object tobe joined, adjacent and perpendicular to the end face of the objectwhich is to be pulled into face-to-face engagement with the end face ofthe other object, with the tongues projecting outwardly from the endface. The two objects can then be brought together such that the tonguesengage in the respective recesses of the other plate. Suitable fastenerscan be placed in aligned pairs of fastener receiving indents or routs,and tightened to pull the joint together. In an exemplary embodiment,each tongue has an opening for receiving a fastener for securing eachplate to the other half or object of the joint. Each plate also may havespaced openings for receiving fastener screws or the like for securingthe plate to the object at the desired location. Alternatively, theplate may be secured to the respective objects by suction cups,adhesive, or other fasteners.

[0008] The two plates making up the joint apparatus may be made of anysuitable material such as wood or other wood-based products metal plateor sheet material, or synthetic materials such as resin-based solidsurfacing materials, for example Corian®. The plates may be used to joinobjects such as panels, tables, shelving, cabinets, or the like, whichmay be of wood, synthetic material, metal or the like. The plates may bejoined to the respective substrates of the objects to be joined by anysuitable means, such as mechanical fasteners, nails, staples, or withadhesives to bond to the substrate. The clamping devices may be removedwhen the plates are completely secured to the two objects.

[0009] The apparatus of this invention is portable, dust-free, andself-aligning, decreasing the labor time and expense of joining twoobjects. It avoids the need for on-site routing of panels or faces ofobjects to be joined, since all necessary routs are pre-formed in thejoint plates. This avoids marring of the faces and also eliminateshazardous dust which is produced in such routing. It also eliminates theneed for custom machining or routing of panels either in the factory oron site. Instead, a plurality of joint strips or plates can simply bepurchased off-the-shelf for suitable installation wherever a joint isneeded.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method ofjoining two objects with end faces of the objects in face-to-faceengagement is provided, which comprises the steps of:

[0011] taking first and second elongate, generally flat joint plateseach having a side edge having a series of alternating tongues andrecesses;

[0012] securing the first joint plate to a face of a first objectadjacent an end face to be placed face-to-face with an end face of asecond object, such that the side edge faces outwardly and the spacedtongues project outwardly from the end face in a direction perpendicularto the end face;

[0013] securing the second joint plate to a face of a second objectadjacent an end face to be placed face-to-face with an end face of thefirst object, such that the side edge faces outwardly and the spacedtongues project outwardly from the end face in a direction perpendicularto the end face;

[0014] bringing the two objects towards each another with their endfaces facing one another such that the tongues on the first plate enteraligned recesses in the second plate and the tongues on the second plateenter aligned recesses in the first plate, and

[0015] securing each tongue on the first plate to an underlying surfaceportion of the second object and securing each tongue on the secondplate to an underlying surface portion of the first object;

[0016] whereby the two objects are aligned and secured together at thejoint formed by the two plates.

[0017] In an exemplary method, each plate has a series of spacedfastener receiving indents or routs along its side edge, with eachindent located between a respective adjacent pair of tongues andrecesses, and the spaced fastener receiving indents in the side edge ofthe first plate are aligned with corresponding fastener receivingindents on the side edge of the second plate. A first half of a fasteneris then placed in each fastener receiving indent on the first plate anda second half of the fastener is placed in each fastener receivingindent on the second plate, with the first and second halves of eachfastener in loose engagement; and the fasteners are then tightened todraw the two plates together and bring the end faces into face-o-faceengagement at the joint.

[0018] In an alternative method, two halves of a fastener such as asash-lock type fastener are secured at spaced intervals on top of therespective plates, and the sash-lock fasteners are secured together toclamp the two plates in position while the tongues are secured to theunderlying surface of the two objects to be joined. In anotheralternative, the plates are provided with a series of aligned,upstanding tabs with fastener openings, and the plates may be securedtogether by extending bolts through the aligned tabs, and tighteningnuts over the projecting ends of the bolts.

[0019] The fasteners may be removed after the plates are each secured toboth objects, since they will no longer be needed to hold the jointtogether. The plates may be permanently or temporarily secured in place,depending on whether a permanent or temporary joint is required betweenthe two objects. In one embodiment, the joint apparatus may be used tojoin two banquet tables together temporarily. In this case, each plateis slidably mounted on a respective table end, and may be moved betweena retracted position in which the tongues are hidden, and an extendedposition in which the tongues project outwardly from the table end forengagement in aligned recesses in the plate mounted on another tableend. The two plates may be releasably secured together by sashlockfasteners or the like.

[0020] The method and apparatus of this invention may be used to securetwo or more objects together quickly and easily, without requiring anymachining or routing of the objects themselves prior to making thejoint. The tongue and recess engagement between the two plates ensuresproper alignment of the objects to be joined.

[0021] The method and apparatus of this invention may be used to securetwo or more objects together quickly and easily, without requiring anymachining or routing of the objects themselves prior to making thejoint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will be better understood from thefollowing detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of theinvention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in whichlike reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two separated panels with thejoint apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventionattached;

[0024]FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0025]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the joined and clamped panels;

[0026]FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

[0027]FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3,illustrating an alternative suction cup fastener;

[0028]FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing an alternative clampingarrangement;

[0029]FIG. 7 is a top plan view showing another clamping arrangement;

[0030]FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing a further clamping arrangement;

[0031]FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

[0032]FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 8;

[0033]FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, showing the clamping tabsflattened;

[0034]FIG. 12 is a top plan view of two separated panels withconcealable joint units attached;

[0035]FIG. 13 is a top plan view showing the structure of FIG. 12 joinedand clamped; and

[0036]FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken on line 14-14 of FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings illustrate a joint apparatus andmethod according to a first embodiment of the invention. The apparatusbasically comprises two flat plates or strips 10,12 designed forattachment to two objects to be secured together, such as a first panel14 and a second panel 15, and a clamping or fastener assembly 16 forsecuring the plates together. The panels are intended to be securedtogether in a co-planar manner with their opposing inner edges or endfaces 17,18, respectively in abutting, face to face relationship, asindicated in FIG. 4.

[0038] The first plate 10 has a series of alternating tongues 20 andrecesses 22 along on of its side edges 24, while the second plate hasalternating recesses 25 and tongues 26 along the corresponding side edge28 for alignment with the tongues 20 and recesses 22 in the first plate.Each tongue and recess pair 20,26 and 25,22 is of generally matchingshape and dimensions to allow the tongues to mate with the respectiveopposing recesses. In the illustrated embodiment, the tongue and recessshape is generally square or rectangular, although other shapes, such aselongate shapes with rounded ends, are possible.

[0039] Each plate 10,12 also has a series of routed in areas or indents30 for receiving the clamping assembly 16, each indent being positionedbetween an adjacent tongue and recess for alignment with a correspondingindent in the other plate. Each indent or area 30 has a narrow neckportion 32 and an enlarged inner portion 34, which may be of anysuitable shape, such as square, rectangular, round, or heart-shaped.

[0040] The two plates 10,12 are secured to the respective panels 14,15such that the plate side edges 24,28 are substantially aligned with therespective panel end face 17,18 to be joined, and the tongues 20,26project outwardly from the respective panel end face, as illustrated inFIG. 1. The plates may be secured to the respective panels by a seriesof spaced screws 35 extending through holes in each plate into theunderlying panel, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, theplates may be secured by adhesive, staples, or other suitable fasteners.

[0041] Each tongue 20,26 is also provided with a screw receiving hole36, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment. When the twoplates are appropriately secured to the respective panels, as in FIG. 1,the panels are brought towards one another with each tongue 20,26aligned with the appropriate opposing recess 25,22. When the panel endfaces 17,18 are abutted as in FIGS. 3 and 4, each tongue will be fullyengaged in the appropriate recess, holding the panels against anysideways movement. At this point, the tongues are secured to theunderlying panels by screws 38. The two strips or plates 10,12 are theneach secured to both panels, thereby securing the panels together withtheir end faces in face-to-face abutment.

[0042] The clamping assembly or fastener mechanism 16 is used to drawthe two plates and panels together more readily into the fully matedposition of FIG. 3, and to hold the plates together temporarily whilethe tongues are secured to the underlying panels. Each clamp or fastenerassembly 16 comprises a bolt having a head 42 and a threaded shaft 44extending through a hole in a first clamp plate 45 and a second clampplate 46, and a nut 48 engaging over the threaded end of shaft 44 on theopposite side of the second clamp plate 46. One such assembly can beplaced in some or all of the aligned routed indents 30, as indicated inFIGS. 3 and 4, with the first clamp plate 45 and bolt head 42 engagingin the enlarged area 34 of one indent or routed area on one of theplates, and the second clamp plate 46 and nut 48 engaging in theenlarged area 34 of the aligned, opposing indent 30 in the other plate.The nuts 48 can all then be tightened, pulling the two halves of thejoint together until the end faces 17, 18 are in abutment. Once thescrews 38 have been installed in each tongue, securing each plate to theopposite panel, the fastener or clamping assemblies 16 are no longernecessary and can be removed and re-used, if desired.

[0043] It will be understood that different types of fasteners orsecuring means may alternatively be used to secure the tongues to theopposing, underlying panels. Instead of fastener screws, the tongues mayalternatively be secured by nails, staples, or other mechanicalfasteners. Alternatively, they may be secured with adhesive, simply bycoating the exposed side portions of the respective panels underlyingthe respective recesses 22,25 with adhesive prior to engaging thetongues in the respective recesses. The adhesive will then be allowed todry before removing the clamping assemblies 16.

[0044]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative arrangement for securing theplates 10,12 to the underlying panel, avoiding the need for fastenerscrews 35 or other mechanical fasteners. In this alternative, a seriesof suction cups 50 are mounted at spaced intervals across each plate orstrip 10,12, for example at the locations illustrated in dotted outlinein FIG. 3. Each suction cup 50 may be actuated by a toggle 52 accessiblefrom the top of the respective plate, as indicated in FIG. 5, forexample. The plates may be thereby secured to the underlying panel bysuction. The suction cups may suitably be used where the plates are tobe secured to the underlying panels with adhesive, since they will holdthe plates in position while the adhesive dries, and allow the twopanels to be drawn together prior to drying of the adhesive.

[0045] The particular clamping or fastener assemlies 16 illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 4 are only one possible example of many different alternativemechanisms which may be used to pull the two halves of the jointtogether. Some of these alternatives are illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 14.

[0046]FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative clamping arrangement for the twoplates 10,12 which replaces the indents 30 and nut and bolt fastenerarrangement 42,44,45,46,48 of FIGS. 1 to 4. The joint apparatus of FIG.6 is otherwise identical to that of FIGS. 1 to 4, and like referencenumerals have been used for like parts as appropriate. In FIG. 5, aseries of sash-lock type fastener devices 54 are used to hold the twoplates together in proper alignment as each tongue is secured to theunderlying panel surface. Each fastener device 54 comprises a cam orhook member 55 rotatably mounted adjacent the side edge of one of theplates 10, and a mating, fixed cam or recessed member 56 mounted inalignment with member 55 on the side edge of the other plate 12. Whenthe tongues and recesses of the two plates are fully mated, as in FIG.6, the hook members 55 can each be rotated into releasable lockingengagement with the cam or recess members 56, in which an inturned lipon the hook member engages under a projecting rim of the recess memberto secure the two plates together, as in a conventional window sashlock. Alternative locking mechanisms may be used in place of thesash-lock type fastener, such as a trunk latch, door lock, or the like.

[0047]FIGS. 7 and 9 illustrate another alternative clamping arrangementfor holding the two plates together as the tongues are secured to theunderlying surfaces of panels 14 and 15. In this arrangement, the plates10,12 each have a series of spaced through bores 60,62, respectively,extending between the opposite side edges of each plate. The bores 60and 62 are aligned when the tongues and recesses are engaged as in FIG.7. A bolt 64 is pre-installed to extend through each aligned pair ofbores 60,62, and is in threaded engagement with mating threads in bore60, as best illustrated in FIG. 9. Thus, the two plates or halves of thejoint assembly are linked together prior to attachment to two objects tobe joined, such as panels 14,15. On site, the panels or other objects tobe joined will be positioned with the edges or end faces 17,18 to bejoined in abutment, and the two plates 10,12 will then be placed on therespective panels so as to span the joint as indicated in FIG. 7. Eachplate is then secured to the panel 14 or 15 on one side of the joint.The bolts 64 are then tightened to draw the plates and panels together.At this point, the tongues of the respective plates 10,12 are secured tothe other panel, 15 or 14, respectively. As in the previous embodiments,the plates can be secured to the panels by any suitable fastener, suchas screws, staples, adhesive or the like. This version has the advantagethat the placement of the linked halves or plates of the joint is morefoolproof. The bolt may have a hex head so that it can be tightened withan Allen wrench.

[0048]FIGS. 8,10 and 11 illustrate another alternative clampingarrangement in which each plate 10,12 is formed by stamping from arelatively thin metal plate, rather than a relatively thick panel ofwood or the like as in the previous embodiments. The plate thickness inthe previous embodiments is of the order of ½ inch, whereas thethickness of the metal plates 10,12 in FIGS. 8 and 10 is of the order of{fraction (1/16)} inches or less. Each plate has a series of spaced,bent-up tabs 65,66, respectively, for alignment with the tabs in theother plate when all the tongues and recesses are engaged, as in FIG. 8.The tabs 65 have openings 67 aligned with openings 68 in the opposingtabs, as illustrated in FIG. 10, and a bolt 70 is inserted through eachpair of aligned tabs, and secured by a nut 72 engaging over theprojecting threaded end of the bolt. Alternatively, each pair of tabs65,66 may be secured together by means of a ratchet hook clamp whichhooks over the openings in each tab and is tightened by a rotatablehandle. The ratchet hook clamp will be similar to a larger clamp toolwhich is commonly used in chain link fencing.

[0049] With this clamping arrangement, the plates are held together bythe nut and bolt or other fastener extending through the tabs until thetongues are secured to the underlying panel surfaces. The clamping ormechanical fastener devices, such as nuts 72 and bolts 70, are thenremoved from the tabs, and the tabs can be hammered or bent down flushwith the remainder of each plate, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Thisalternative is particularly suitable for securing together two sectionsof a countertop designed to sit directly on top of cabinets. The thinmetal plates 10,12 can secure two countertop sections smoothly together,and the connected countertop sections can then be secured on the top ofthe cabinets with the plates facing downwardly, fully concealing thejoint.

[0050] FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate another modified embodiment of theinvention, in which the joint apparatus 75 comprises plates 10,12 whichare slidably mounted on the respective objects to be joined, and arereleasably secured together by sash-lock type clamping devices 54 of thesame type as illustrated in FIG. 6. The joint apparatus of FIGS. 12 to14 is otherwise similar to that of the previous embodiments, and likereference numerals are used for like parts as appropriate.

[0051] The joint apparatus 75 of FIGS. 12 to 14 is particularly suitablefor temporarily connecting together two objects such as banquet tables76,77. Each plate 10,12 is of relatively thin metal plate material, asin the previous embodiment, and has opposite end edges 78,79 slidablymounted on slide tracks 80,82 on the underside of the respective tabletop adjacent an end edge 84,86 of the respective table 76,77. Each plate10,12 is slidable in the respective tracks 80,82 between the retractedposition illustrated in FIG. 12, in which each tongue 20,26 is hiddenfrom view underneath the table top, and the extended position of FIG.13, in which each tongue 20,26 is extended for mating engagement in anopposing recess 25,22, respectively. The rotatable cam members 55 of thesash-lock devices 54 are illustrated in a retracted position in FIG. 12.When the plates are extended into the position of FIG. 13 with the tableends 84 and 86 abutting, the cam members 55 can be rotated from theretracted position of FIG. 12 into the actuated position of FIG. 13, inwhich they engage under a ledge on the opposing fixed cam or indentedmember 56, as indicated in FIGS. 13 and 14, simultaneously drawing thetable end edges 84 and 86 together.

[0052] The slidably mounted plates 10,12 of FIGS. 12 to 14 areparticularly suitable for use when two or more objects are to be joinedtogether temporarily. Thus, two banquet tables can be joined together asin FIGS. 13 and 14 to form a single, larger table, and the plates can bereadily unfastened and retracted to return them to their hidden statewhen a larger table is no longer needed.

[0053] The method of securing two panels together using the plates andclamping assemblies of this invention is very quick, simple andinexpensive, and does not result in production of sawdust or resin dust.All that is necessary is for the two plates 10,12 to be secured to therespective objects adjacent the respective edges or faces to be mated,with the opposing tongues and recesses appropriately aligned. The twoobjects are then brought together, with or without the use of clampingassemblies, until the tongues each mate with the opposing recess, andthen each tongue is secured to the underlying surface of the opposingobject. In this way, each plate is secured to both objects, so that theobjects are secured together, and the tongue and groove engagementensures that the two objects are properly positioned and cannot moverelative to one another in a sideways or lateral direction.

[0054] Although some exemplary embodiments of the invention have beendescribed above by way of example only, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the field that modifications may be made to the disclosedembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, which isdefined by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A joint apparatus for joining two objects with adjacent endfaces of the objects in face-to-face engagement, comprising: a firstelongate, generally flat plate for securing to a face of a first objectadjacent an end face to be joined; a second elongate, generally flatplate for securing to a face of a second object adjacent an end face tobe joined; each plate having a side edge for facing the side edge of theother plate when the plates are secured to the respective objects, eachside edge having a series of alternating inwardly directed recesses andoutwardly projecting tongues, the tongues in the first plate beingpositioned for mating engagement in the recesses in the second plate andthe tongues in the second plate being positioned for mating engagementin the recesses in the first plate when the plates are secured to theobjects and the end faces of the objects are placed together; and firstsecuring means for securing the first and second plates to therespective first and second objects; and second securing means forsecuring each tongue of the first plate to the second object and eachtongue of the second plate to the first object.
 2. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second securing means comprisemechanical fasteners.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe mechanical fasteners comprise screws.
 4. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first and second securing means comprise adhesive.5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first securing meanscomprises a series of spaced suction cups for securing the first plateto the first object and the second plate to the second object,respectively.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including clampingmeans for releasably securing the two plates together with each tongueengaged with an opposing recess.
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6,wherein the clamping means comprises a series of first clamping membersmounted in the first plate facing outwardly from said side edge, and aseries of second clamping members mounted in the second plate facingoutwardly from said side edge for alignment with respective firstclamping members, each first clamping member being releasably engageablewith a respective second clamping member to form an adjustable lengthclamp, whereby the clamping members can be adjusted to reduce the lengthof the clamp and thereby draw the two plates towards one another.
 8. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein each side edge has a fastenerreceiving indent located between each adjacent tongue and recess foralignment with a corresponding fastener receiving indent in the sideedge of the other plate, and each first and second clamping member ismounted in a respective pair of aligned fastener receiving indents. 9.The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including at least two spaced,releasable clamping devices for releasably securing the first plate tothe second plate.
 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein eachplate has at least two spaced, upwardly directed tabs for alignment withcorresponding tabs in the other plate, each tab having an opening, andeach clamping device extends through a respective pair of aligned tabs.11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clamping devicecomprises a bolt extending through the aligned tabs and a nut adjustablymounted on the bolt.
 12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, whereinthe releasable clamping devices comprise sash-lock type fasteners. 13.The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plates each have asecond side edge opposite to said first side edge, and at least twospaced through bores extend between said side edges for alignment withcorresponding bores in the other plate, the through bores in one of theplates being threaded, and the releasable clamping devices each comprisea bolt having a threaded shaft extending through a respective pair ofaligned through bores and threadably engaged in said threaded bores toreleasably secure the plates together.
 14. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each plate has a thickness of the order of 0.5 inches.15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each plate is a stampedmetal plate.
 16. A joint apparatus for joining two objects with adjacentend faces of the objects in face-to-face engagement, comprising: a firstgenerally flat plate for securing to a face of a first object adjacentan end face to be joined; a second generally flat plate for securing toa face of a second object adjacent an end face to be joined; each platehaving a first side edge for facing the first side edge of the otherplate when the plates are secured to the respective objects; and eachfirst side edge having a series of alternating inwardly directedrecesses and outwardly projecting tongues, the tongues in the firstplate being positioned for mating engagement in the recesses in thesecond plate and the tongues in the second plate being positioned formating engagement in the recesses in the first plate when the plates aresecured to the objects and the end faces of the objects are placedtogether.
 17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, including at leastone first releasable fastener device on the first plate and at least onesecond releasable fastener device on the second plate for releasablemating engagement with the first fastener device when the tongues andrecesses are engaged for releasably securing the first plate to thesecond plate.
 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein thefirst and second fastener devices are permanently secured to therespective plates.
 19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein thefastener devices are releasably mounted on the respective plates. 20.The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein each plate has at leastone fastener receiving opening for alignment with the fastener receivingopening on the other plate when the tongues and recesses are engaged,and the first and second fastener devices are engaged through therespective openings.
 21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, whereineach plate has at least one upstanding tab and the openings are providedin the tabs.
 22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein eachopening comprises a fastener receiving indent in the first side edge ofthe respective plate.
 23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, whereineach plate has at least one through bore extending transverse to saidfirst side edge, the through bores comprising said fastener receivingopenings.
 24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, including a slidablemounting assembly associated with each plate for slidably mounting theplate on the respective object for movement between a retracted positionin which the tongues do not project beyond the side face of the objectto be joined and an extended position in which the tongues projectoutwardly from the side face for engagement in the recesses in the otherplate.
 25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein each platecomprises an elongate, generally rectangular, planar member having asecond side edge opposite the first side edge and opposite end edges.26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the plate has athickness in the range from 0.05 inches to 0.75 inches.
 27. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plates are of a materialselected from the group consisting of wood, wood-based materials,resin-based solid surfacing materials, and metal.
 28. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 16, wherein each plate has first fastener receivingopenings for receiving fasteners for securing the plate to therespective object to be joined.
 29. The apparatus as claimed in claim28, wherein the first and second plates have second fastener receivingopenings in at least some of the tongues for receiving fasteners forsecuring the plates to the second and first objects, respectively, whenthe tongues are received in the opposing recesses.
 30. A joint assembly,comprising: a first object to be joined, the object having a flat facehaving a perpendicular end face; a second object to be joined, thesecond object having a flat face with a perpendicular end face abuttingface-to-face with the end face of the first object; a first generallyflat plate secured to the flat face of the first object adjacent the endface to be joined, the plate having a first side edge adjacent the endface; a second generally flat plate secured to the flat face of thesecond object adjacent the end face to be joined, the plate having afirst side edge adjacent the end face; each first side edge having aseries of alternating inwardly directed recesses and outwardlyprojecting tongues, the tongues in the first plate extending into therecesses in the second plate and the tongues in the second plateextending into the recesses in the first plate; and a fastener apparatusholding the plates and objects together.
 31. The assembly as claimed inclaim 30, wherein the fastener apparatus comprises at least onereleasable fastener device releasably securing the first plate to thesecond plate.
 32. The assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein thefastener device comprises a sash-lock fastener mechanism having a firstpart mounted on the first plate and a second part mounted on the secondplate.
 33. The assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the fastenerapparatus comprises at least two spaced, releasable fastener devices.34. The assembly as claimed in claim 31, wherein the fastener apparatuscomprises a first securing means securing the tongues of the first plateto the flat face of the second object and a second securing meanssecuring the tongues of the second plate to the flat face of the firstobject.
 35. The assembly as claimed in claim 34, wherein the first andsecond securing means comprise adhesive.
 36. The assembly as claimed inclaim 34, wherein the first and second securing means comprisemechanical fasteners.
 37. The assembly as claimed in claim 30, whereineach object has a slide mounting device on said flat face and each plateis slidably mounted on the slide mounting device for movement between anextended position in which the tongues project outwardly from said endface and a retracted position in which the tongues are retractedinwardly from said end face and concealed.
 38. The assembly as claimedin claim 31, wherein the objects comprise banquet tables having tabletops with upper and lower flat faces, and the plates are mounted on thelower faces of the table tops adjacent said end faces.
 39. A method ofjoining two objects with end faces of the objects in face-to-faceengagement, comprising the steps of: taking first and second elongate,generally flat joint plates each having a side edge having a series ofalternating tongues and recesses; securing the first joint plate to aface of a first object adjacent an end face to be placed face-to-facewith an end face of a second object, such that the side edge facesoutwardly and the spaced tongues project outwardly from the end face ina direction perpendicular to the end face; securing the second jointplate to a face of a second object adjacent the end face to be placedface-to-face with the end face of the first object, such that the sideedge faces outwardly and the spaced tongues project outwardly from theend face in a direction perpendicular to the end face; bringing the twoobjects towards each another with their end faces facing one anothersuch that the tongues on the first plate enter aligned recesses in thesecond plate and the tongues on the second plate enter aligned recessesin the first plate, and securing the first plate to the second plate;whereby the two objects are aligned and secured together at the jointformed by the two plates.
 40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 39,including the step of securing each tongue on the first plate to anunderlying surface portion of the second object and securing each tongueon the second plate to an underlying surface portion of the firstobject.
 41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the step ofsecuring the first plate to the second plate comprises temporarilyclamping the first and second plates together with a releasable clampingdevice while the tongues are secured to the underlying surface portions,and releasing the clamping device after the tongues are secured.
 42. Themethod as claimed in claim 41, wherein the step of temporarily clampingthe first and second plates together comprises extending a releasableclamping device through aligned openings in bent up tabs in the plates,and including the step of bending the tabs down flush with the uppersurface of the respective plates after release and removal of theclamping device.
 43. The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the stepof securing the plates to the respective objects comprises slidablymounting the plates on the objects for sliding movement in a directiontransverse to the end faces between a retracted position in which thetongues are retracted inwardly from the respective end face and do notengage in the opposing recesses, and an extended position in which thetongues extend outwardly from the respective end face and engage in therecesses in the opposing plate.
 44. A method of joining two objects withend faces of the objects in face-to-face engagement, comprising thesteps of: taking first and second elongate, generally flat joint plateseach having a side edge having a series of alternating tongues andrecesses; securing the first joint plate to a face of a first objectadjacent an end face to be placed face-to-face with an end face of asecond object, such that the side edge faces outwardly and the spacedtongues project outwardly from the end face of the first object in adirection perpendicular to the end face; securing the second joint plateto a face of a second object adjacent the end face to be placedface-to-face with the end face of the first object, such that the sideedge faces outwardly and the spaced tongues project outwardly from theend face of the second object in a direction perpendicular to the endface; bringing the two objects towards each another with their end facesfacing one another such that the tongues on the first plate enteraligned recesses in the second plate and the tongues on the second plateenter aligned recesses in the first plate, and securing each tongue onthe first plate to an underlying surface portion of the second objectand securing each tongue on the second plate to an underlying surfaceportion of the first object; whereby the two objects are aligned andsecured together at the joint formed by the two plates.
 45. A method ofjoining two objects with end faces of the objects in face-to-faceengagement, comprising the steps of: taking first and second elongate,generally flat joint plates each having a side edge having a series ofalternating tongues and recesses; securing the first and second platesloosely together in a co-planar arrangement with the tongues in thefirst plate engaging the recesses in the second plate and the tongues inthe second plate engaging the recesses in the first plate; bringing thetwo objects towards each another with their end faces facing one anotheruntil the end faces are in abutment; securing the first joint plate to aface of the first object adjacent the end face such that the spacedtongues project outwardly from the end face of the first object and overthe second object; securing the second joint plate to a face of thesecond object adjacent the end face such that the spaced tongues projectoutwardly from the end face of the second object over the first object;and securing each tongue on the first plate to an underlying surfaceportion of the second object and securing each tongue on the secondplate to an underlying surface portion of the first object; whereby thetwo objects are aligned and secured together at the joint formed by thetwo plates.